9 Years ago I Began Running

For last the 9 years, the time around St. Patrick’s day has held a more sentimental reason to me than drinking beer, wearing green and pots of gold.

Although if you would like to send me a pot of gold that is fine too! Nine years ago I ran a 5k in college that would change the path and direction of my life. I started this blog the summer after which means the blog is coming up on 9 years too. Wow, where did my 20s go?

When I was a college sophomore, I saw a sign at the gym stating if you completed the annual campus 5k you would get a free long sleeve t-shirt. As a college student, you can never have enough things to stuff in your dorm room. My roommate appreciated my hoarding I guess.

I had plenty of short sleeve shirts but long sleeve shirts were something I was always looking for. All I had to do was sign up for a 5k and complete it?

Okay sign me up. Sign me up and I didn’t run an ounce beforehand.

My running history previous to March of 2010 was lackluster. I swam competitively through high school and most of college. I failed the mile countless times in both middle and high school…or passed by a couple of seconds (passing was 12:30 and my mile PR was 12:12). Since 10th-grade gym class I had avoided running like the plague.

I ran twice in the first two years of college. Both times were to “impress” upperclassman on the swim team. It wasn’t impressive and I made a fool out of myself.

During the offseason from swimming, I went to the gym and used the elliptical or lifted weights. It was nice to keep cardio and strength when I wasn’t swimming. I didn’t run during the offseason at all. The elliptical and I were friends. Long story short I had no idea what I was getting myself into running the 5k, but the phrase “if it’s free, it’s for me” comes to mind with this race.

The race itself is pretty much a blur. I don’t remember much other than I didn’t really hate it.

I finished the 5k is around 24 minutes. I don’t remember the exact time but I remember not dying, texting my shocked dad that I had run a 5k and picked up my free long sleeve shirt.

Of course, I didn’t tell my parents I was running this 5k…I didn’t want them to ask if I didn’t finish… My dad has been running far longer than I have. In fact, he had a big marathon the next week (The Shamrock Marathon). I didn’t want the embarrassment that his daughter couldn’t finish a 5k.

I wore that t-shirt all around the following day. I was going to wear my badge of honor.

After the race, it wasn’t as if I magically became engrossed in running. I wasn’t “hooked”. I did realize it wasn’t all that bad and I ran occasionally when it was nice out. I ran 10-20 miles a week depending on the weather. When it was sunny I would run the same 5k loop around campus. When it wasn’t nice out, I wouldn’t run. I would just go to the gym.

I mark St. Patrick’s Day as the official day I got my running start because after that point I considered myself someone who didn’t hate running anymore. When you fail the mile test multiple times in grade school, it’s hard to like it.

That’s so cool! You certainly progressed quickly. I started running around 2009/2010 and leapt almost directly into the marathon (such a bad idea). And then, like you, I didn’t always run: only if I had a race I’d registered for. But over time it became a hobby and now I run almost every day (I’ve also taken over 1:05 off my marathon and :35 off my half! I by no means started out with any speed at all!).